thankful thursday {link up} & embrace the camera

{Feel free to join in the Thankful Thursday fun by linking up your own thankful list at the bottom of this post. It's pretty simple... list a few things that you are thankful for this Thursday and link it up below. Grab my button from the side bar and post away! }

This Thursday I am thankful for:

1) My husband. I don't say that enough. Marriage is hard sometimes... and sometimes we argue... gasp, I know. But the way he approaches me after any disagreement is so kind. He is humble and forgiving. I hope to be more like him some days. He is such an incredible man and I am so thankful that the Lord blessed me with him as a husband. (this is also this week's embrace the camera photo)

2) Sweet potato fries. Specifically the ones I ate last night. I went to dinner with a girlfriend at the Village Anchor... (a new restaurant for me). The sweet potato fries were AMAZING. They were served with this incredible marshmallow cream dipping sauce that was to-die-for. Trust me on this people. I don't tell lies.

3) To-do lists. Strange, I know. But there is just something so satisfying about crossing things off that list. A good to-do list is about the only way I function most days. Work to-do's... photography to-do's... packing to-do's. Lists on legal pads... lists on post-it notes... lists on napkins... It really doesn't matter much to me, as long as I get it done.

oh, how pinteresting...

If I were really cool, I would be throwing a 4th of July bash this weekend...

...I would be wearing this...

...while baking this...

...you would be greeted by this...

...we would eat these...

...and these...

...the tables would be lit up with these...

...we would drink these...

...while using these...

...we would light up the night with this...

...and cap the night off with these...

Hmmm... maybe I should have a 4th of July party after all...

Linking this up to The Vintage Apple.

top 10 :: tips for antique shopping

This past Sunday, I visited a traveling antique fair at the Locust Grove. It.was.fabulous. There were probably 50 or so dealers with booths set up. They had everything from vintage jewelry to gorgeous pieces of antique furniture. Antique shopping is like treasure hunting to me... I love perusing the old items and wondering what this or that was used for... who might have owned the item before... what can I do with the item now? If you are thinking about doing any antique shopping soon, here are a few helpful tips to get you started...

1) Have a list in mind. Know what you're looking for. This past weekend I went looking for wooden letter blocks... and I found them. If you have a few items in mind, your antique shopping isn't nearly as overwhelming.

2) Think outside the box. Look at items in a different light. Typically, items at an antique fair aren't going to be used the exact same way that they were years and years ago. For example, I love how Ali Edwards turned these vintage matchbook holders into a collection on her kitchen wall.

3) Don't pay full price. Most dealers are willing to negotiate a little. The cash drawer I bought this weekend was priced at $35... and the dealer instantly told me he would be willing to go down to $25... but then I asked if he would be willing to take $20... and he accepted.

4) Know your brands. There are several things to look for when antique shopping... but if you do your homework it can earn you a profit down the road. Certain brands and labels can be worth a pretty penny to the right collector.

5) Bring cash. I brought cash with me this weekend for 2 reasons... 1) so I wouldn't be tempted to spend more than I budgeted and 2) because at a fair-type setting many of the vendors will only take cash or check. But more important than both of those reasons... cash can help you better accomplish #3. I was able to go down to $20 on the cash drawer because I only had a twenty dollar bill left in my pocket... sneaky.

6) Know how you're going to use your purchase. Don't buys something just because it's a good deal... know how you're going to use your purchase when you get home. It should have a purpose and a designated spot in your house. For example, my cash drawer will be used to either hold jewelry/pins in my closet, or possibly used as a catch-all near my front door.

7) Ask questions. Learn about the history of items. It always makes a piece more interesting if you know where it came from and it's original purpose. For example, I have 2 stools (above photo) that I bought from a flea market in Clarkesville, GA... they are worn, faded, and have inappropriate graffiti written on the legs... but I love them because they were the actual stools that employees sat on while working at the Old Clarkesville Mill back in the day. A piece is always more special if you know where it's been and what it's been through.

8) Touch and inspect your potential purchase. This one is actually a bit of admonishing for myself. When I purchased the set of wooden letter blocks, there were 2 sets for me to choose from. One set was really old... truly vintage... and $20. This was the set I originally wanted. So, I asked the dealer if I could take the blocks out of the bag to make sure all of the letters were there... I inspected each one... discovered the set was missing an "O" and an "S." But here's where I went wrong... I bought the other set. They were only $8... and I was on a budget. And you see, I didn't inspect the other set... I just bought them. And now that I have them home, I see that I'm missing quite a few letters... oh well... that's what going the cheap route will get you.

9) Look for collections. It's always fun to have a collection in mind when antique shopping. I have a friend that collects elephant figurines, and if I see anything elephant I snatch it up for her. Fun things to collect at antique fairs are vintage fine china, tea towels, old postcards, dice, marbles, vintage broaches... the list could go on and on. Starting a small collection gives you something to always be on the lookout for.

10) Enjoy your new purchase. Once you bring your "new" treasures home, put them to good use and enjoy them! I love seeing how Teresa displays some of her own finds in her home, check out her post here.

That's my Top 10 for this week. Linking this post up to Oh Amanda and It's a Crafty Life.

weekend in review

My weekends aren't always exciting enough to merit a full "weekend in review" post on Monday... but this weekend definitely made the cut. Lance's brother and his wife made a last minute decision to make the drive from Georgia to Kentucky for a weekend visit... so obviously the out-of-towners deserve the best treatment... so we pulled out all of the stops...

...starting by taking my sister-in-law to the one and only Zappos fulfillment center...

...we browsed rows and rows of fabulously discounted shoes...

...we of course took them to our favorite Farmer's Market...

...where we each enjoyed a freshly made crepe (Lance and I had nutella & banana... it was AMAZING and took me right back to the streets of Paris)...

...the hydrangeas were out in every shade of pink and violet...

...then we drove over to the Woodford Reserve distillery to learn all about making bourbon...

...the tour was incredible and I was amazed at all you can learn for just $5 (and you get a free sample)...

...it was so fascinating learning about the entire bourbon making process (fun fact: did you know that 98% of the world's bourbon is made in Kentucky?)...

...Lance and I will definitely be hitting up some of the other distilleries on the Bourbon Trail...

...for dinner Saturday night we tried out 732 Social (AMAZING... full review to come)...

...we finished our evening by watching the soccer game at Molly Malone's...

...it was fun at first... until the US started losing...

...and I can think of no better way to wrap up an incredible weekend other than an awesome antique market (don't worry, full post to come)...

What about you? How was your weekend??

happy weekending...

embrace the camera

I'm happy to be embracing the camera again... and this week's photo is with none other than my fabulous husband...

Head down to the post below to link up for this week's Thankful Thursday!

thankful thursday {link up}

Here's what you guys were thankful last week...

Jamie over at Our Family of Four was thankful for positive attitudes and her daughter's dance recital.

Marie Elizabeth over at The Places I Go was thankful for summer... and rightly so with that yummy looking mango treat.

Emily over at The Johnson Five is thankful was thankful for her friends, family and Savior.

Miranda over at Carolina Nutshell (love this blog name:) was thankful for free lunches and date nights.

Flossie over at Flossie's Farm was thankful for online bill pay and her sprouting zucchini.

Liz over at The Colville Clan was thankful for her new bronzer (I must try out this Birchbox thing) and new sheets.

Kim over at Let it Snow was thankful for her family... all of them... aunts, uncles and cousins:)

Elizabeth over at Kismet & Company was thankful for a break from classes and an upcoming trip to the beach (jealous!).

Single Mama over at Ready for Take Off was thankful for 12 days of vacation and her adorable little man (he really is so, so cute).

Arianicious over at Randomness Out Loud was thankful for saving (she's paying off debt!) and Sonic drinks.

Marie over at Pouty Pink Princess was thankful for adorable little nephew and her new camera!

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So. What are you thankful for THIS week? Link up at the bottom of this post to share your own Thankful Thursday post....

This Thursday I am thankful for:

1) Rain. Although it did pour on me the other day when I was running. Like a full-blown-torrential-down-pour. I knew it was going to happen. I just kind of thought I would be able to finish running before the bottom fell out. Wrong. This is the picture I snapped with my phone right before the sky let loose... pretty awesome, huh?

2) Chuy's chips. Okay... I'm originally from Texas... so I'm pretty particular about my chips and salsa. But I LOVE CHUY'S CHIPS (and their salsa for that matter). They are wonderfully thin and crispy and salted to perfection. And when the bring them out warm... omg, it's like a party for your taste buds.

3) Good insurance. So... I may have gotten in a little fender bender the other day. Totally sucks. But I am so thankful that no one was hurt and there was very minimal damage done to either vehicle... and that Kentucky is apparently a no-fault state. But regardless, it sucks. I am however, very thankful for our awesome insurance company USAA... they make the process as painless as possible, allowing me to file my claim directly from an app on my phone. I have always been super pleased with their service in everything.

So... what are you thankful for?

what i wish i were wearing...

I mean... you know... if I actually had somewhere to go... and had a ginormous clothing budget... and didn't work from home...

top 10 :: things i love about summer

Since today is actually the first official day of summer, today's top ten list is honoring the things I love about summer... There are about a billion, but I'll narrow it down to ten... just for you...

1) Lightning bugs. I just love the magical feeling of lightning bugs. There's just something about seeing them float around as they light up the nighttime air, that just ooozes summertime.

2) Flip flops. Quite possibly the very best thing about summer. I love that feeling of slipping on that favorite pair of flip flops (or chacos) after a long day at the pool.

3) Ranier cherries. Okay... scratch what I said above about flip flops being the best thing about summer... Ranier cherries are definitely the best thing about summer... hands down. And sadly, I haven't had any yet. I think they must be harder to come by over here in Kentucky. Don't worry though... I have already asked my produce man when I should expect to see them... and I only have a few more weeks to wait.

4) Breezy tank tops. I love the silky summery tops that are making a come-back these days. I love the how they flow in the summer breeze and don't cling to any unsightly areas that aren't ready for their summer showing yet.

5) Fun nail polish. Specifically this pastel essie polish... "nice is nice." One of my favorite people mailed me a bottle in my birthday package this year and I can't stop wearing it.

6) Pool time. I mean, you can never go wrong with a little bit of pool time with your favorite book or magazine. There's just something about that chlorine smell I simply can't resist.

7) Vacations. Summer vacations just remind me of being a kid... the countdown until you leave... the thrill of packing... the roadtrip... And although the vacations look a little different as you get older, the anticipation is still the same.

8) Floppy hats. Any good excuse to wear an oversized floppy hat, I'm in.

9) Grilling out. Just the smell of burgers on the grill makes me long for summertime... (well, either that, or football season). I love the gathering that takes place on summer evenings... with neighbors, with friends, with family. It's as if the longer days yearn to be filled with the smell of the grill.

10) Lots and lots of sunshine. I know sometimes it just gets too dang hot in the summer... but give me sunshine, and I am happy. That vitamin D really must do wonders... it always seems to work for me:)

What do you love about summer? Linking up to Oh Amanda and It's a Crafty Life.